The architectural profession stands at a critical intersection of creativity and responsibility. With buildings contributing approximately 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions—10% from building materials production alone—the materials architects select have profound environmental implications. This comprehensive guide explores how Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies provide architects with powerful tools to make informed, sustainable material choices that benefit both clients and the planet.
Introduction: Why Architects Need to Work with EPD and LCA
The built environment faces increasing scrutiny regarding its environmental impact. Buildings account for 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with 10% coming directly from the production of building materials and the remaining 27% from energy consumption throughout a building's operational life[1]. This staggering impact has driven significant regulatory changes across the globe, with countries implementing new standards and requirements for sustainable construction.
For instance, in March 2021, Denmark introduced a national strategy requiring Life Cycle Assessments for all new buildings and compliance with a limit value of 12 kg CO2e/m²/year for new buildings larger than 1000 m²[1]. Similar regulations are emerging worldwide, making it essential for architects to understand and implement sustainable material selection methodologies.
The push toward sustainability isn't merely about regulatory compliance—it represents a fundamental shift in how we approach the built environment. Architects now face the challenge of balancing aesthetic considerations with environmental responsibility, requiring new tools and methodologies to guide decision-making. EPDs and LCA have emerged as critical frameworks for evaluating and comparing building materials' environmental impacts.
These tools support certification systems that have become increasingly important in the construction industry, including:
- LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which includes EPDs in its Building Product Disclosure and Optimization credits[2]
- BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), which encourages the selection of materials with EPDs[2]
- DGNB (German Sustainable Building Council) certification system, which uses EPDs to measure sustainability[3][2]
- The Living Building Challenge, Green Globes, and various governmental requirements[2]
By understanding and utilizing EPDs and LCAs in their practice, architects can not only meet regulatory requirements but also create buildings that minimize environmental impact while maximizing performance and durability.
Understanding EPDs and Their Role in Material Selection
What is an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)?
An Environmental Product Declaration functions as a "nutrition label" for building materials, providing verified, transparent, and comparable information about a product's environmental impact throughout its life cycle[2]. Based on Life Cycle Assessment methodology, EPDs follow international standards such as ISO 14025, ISO 21930, and EN 15804, ensuring consistency and reliability[3].
EPDs are third-party verified documents that quantify environmental information on products to provide an accurate, science-based assessment of environmental impacts[4]. They enable fair comparisons between similar products and help architects make informed decisions when selecting materials for sustainable building projects.
How EPDs are Structured
A typical EPD includes several key components:
- Product Information: Basic details about the product, its manufacturer, and intended use
- LCA Information: Methodology and scope of the life cycle assessment
- Environmental Impact Indicators: Quantified environmental impacts across various categories
- Resource Use: Details on energy and material consumption
- Waste Categories and Output Flows: Information on waste generation and management
- Additional Environmental Information: Any supplementary data relevant to environmental performance[2]
The environmental impact categories commonly reported in EPDs include details on raw material sourcing, energy and water use during manufacturing, greenhouse gas emissions, waste production, and end-of-life disposal options[2]. This comprehensive data enables architects to evaluate materials beyond surface-level "green" claims.
Why Architects Should Use EPDs
EPDs offer several significant benefits for architects:
Improved Transparency and Accountability: EPDs provide clear, verifiable environmental information about building materials, enabling architects to make informed choices based on quantifiable data rather than vague sustainability claims[4].
Strengthened Environmental Regulation Compliance: As regulations increasingly require documentation of environmental impacts, EPDs offer a standardized method for demonstrating compliance with these requirements[4].
Enhanced Green Procurement Opportunities: EPDs allow architects to select materials that are both cost-effective and environmentally friendly, facilitating a greener supply chain and supporting sustainable material selection[4].
Support for Innovation: The demand for products with EPDs stimulates manufacturers to develop new, more sustainable materials and solutions, expanding options for architects[4].
Increased Competitiveness: Projects using products with EPDs may have an advantage in markets where environmental performance is valued, potentially leading to increased business opportunities[4].
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and How It Supports Material Choices
What is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?
Life Cycle Assessment is a methodical approach to evaluating the environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product's life, from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling[2]. It provides a holistic view of a product's environmental footprint, allowing architects to make informed decisions based on comprehensive data rather than focusing on a single environmental aspect.
Stages of LCA
LCA examines products through several life cycle perspectives:
- Cradle-to-Gate: Assesses impacts from raw material extraction to the factory gate, before transportation to the consumer
- Cradle-to-Grave: Includes all stages from raw material extraction through disposal/end of life
- Cradle-to-Cradle: Examines the entire life cycle with a focus on recycling and reuse at the end of life[2]
The four key stages analyzed in a comprehensive LCA include:
- Raw Material Extraction: This stage evaluates the environmental impacts of extracting resources from the earth, including energy use, emissions, and land use changes[2].
- Manufacturing & Processing: This phase examines the impacts associated with turning raw materials into finished products, including energy consumption, water use, and emissions from manufacturing facilities[2].
- Usage Phase: This considers the environmental impacts during a product's service life, including maintenance requirements, durability, and operational energy consumption[2].
- End-of-Life: This final stage assesses the impacts of disposal, including potential for recycling, reuse, or the environmental consequences of landfilling or incineration[2].
How LCA Differs from EPDs and How They Work Together
While closely related, LCA and EPDs serve different functions in sustainable building design:
- LCA is the methodology and process used to calculate environmental impacts across a product's life cycle.
- EPD is the standardized document that communicates the results of an LCA study in a consistent format.
In essence, EPDs are based on LCA studies but present the information in a standardized, verified format that allows for fair comparisons between similar products[4][2]. Architects benefit from both: LCA provides the comprehensive assessment methodology, while EPDs deliver the results in an accessible, comparable format.
Case Study: Material Comparisons Through LCA
A study comparing three one-family houses constructed from different primary materials—steel, solid (concrete/masonry), and timber—demonstrated how LCA can inform material selection[3]. The study evaluated the environmental performance across the entire life cycle, revealing that each material offers different advantages depending on the specific environmental impact category and life cycle stage.
Steel structures, for example, showed significant potential for sustainability due to several key properties:
- High flexibility for future adaptations
- Excellent durability with proper maintenance
- Superior recyclability at end-of-life[3]
This case study illustrates how LCA provides architects with nuanced insights that go beyond simplistic "green" or "not green" classifications, allowing for material selections that best align with specific project goals and environmental priorities.
Practical Guide for Architects: How to Work with EPD and LCA
How to Compare EPDs to Choose More Sustainable Materials
When comparing materials using EPDs, architects should focus on:
- Ensuring Functional Equivalence: Compare materials that serve the same function and have similar performance characteristics.
- Checking System Boundaries: Verify that the EPDs being compared cover the same life cycle stages (e.g., cradle-to-gate, cradle-to-grave).
- Examining Multiple Impact Categories: Don't focus solely on carbon footprint; consider other environmental impacts like acidification, eutrophication, and resource depletion.
- Normalizing to Functional Units: Ensure comparisons are based on equivalent functional units (e.g., per square meter of wall assembly with equivalent thermal performance).
- Considering Regional Relevance: EPDs from the same region as your project will typically provide more accurate data for local conditions.
- Verifying Third-Party Certification: Prioritize EPDs that have been verified by accredited third parties for greater reliability[4][2].
Interpreting LCA Results for Decision-Making
When reviewing LCA results for material selection:
- Identify Hotspots: Look for life cycle stages or processes that contribute disproportionately to environmental impacts[1].
- Balance Trade-offs: Recognize that materials may perform well in some impact categories but poorly in others, requiring judgment about which impacts are most important for your specific project.
- Consider Context-Specific Factors: Account for the building's location, intended use, and expected lifespan when interpreting results.
- Look Beyond Initial Impacts: Materials with higher upfront environmental impacts may offer better performance over the full life cycle due to durability, maintenance requirements, or end-of-life options[3].
Common Challenges and Solutions
Architects commonly face several challenges when working with EPDs and LCAs:
Challenge: Limited availability of EPDs for all materials.
Solution: Use industry average EPDs when product-specific ones aren't available, and encourage manufacturers to develop EPDs for their products[1].
Challenge: Complexity of interpreting LCA data.
Solution: Utilize digital tools designed to simplify analysis and visualization of LCA results, such as Anavitor LCA[5].
Challenge: Balancing environmental performance with cost, aesthetics, and other requirements.
Solution: Establish clear priorities and decision criteria at the outset of the project, and use multi-criteria decision analysis to support balanced choices.
Challenge: Keeping current with evolving standards and methodologies.
Solution: Engage with professional development opportunities focused on sustainable design and partner with sustainability consultants when needed.
Benefits of Using EPDs in Architectural Practice
Incorporating EPDs into architectural workflows offers numerous advantages:
Enhanced transparency: EPDs allow architects to clearly communicate the environmental impact of material choices to clients and stakeholders[4].
Improved compliance: EPDs provide the documentation needed to meet increasingly stringent regulatory requirements and certification criteria[4].
Better procurement: EPDs enable construction contractors and developers to select building materials that are both cost-effective and environmentally friendly[4].
Support for innovation: The demand for products with EPDs stimulates manufacturers to develop new, more sustainable materials[4].
Competitive advantage: Demonstrating expertise in sustainable material selection can differentiate architectural practices in an increasingly environmentally conscious market[4][2].
The Role of Digital Tools in Sustainable Architecture
BIM-Integrated LCA Tools
The integration of Life Cycle Assessment with Building Information Modeling (BIM) represents a significant advancement in sustainable architectural practice. BIM-integrated LCA tools allow architects to:
- Evaluate environmental impacts directly within their design environment
- Quickly compare material alternatives and design options
- Update assessments automatically as the design evolves
- Generate documentation for certification and compliance purposes[5]
This integration streamlines the sustainable design process, making it more accessible and less time-consuming for architects to incorporate environmental considerations throughout the design process.
How Anavitor LCA Supports Sustainable Design
Anavitor LCA is a digital tool specifically designed to support architects in making data-driven material choices. Key features include:
- Archicad two-way communication: Allows for seamless data exchange between architectural models and sustainability analysis, making the design process more efficient and connected[5].
- Intelligent model memory: Speeds up project timelines by remembering previously mapped components, reducing redundant work across projects[5].
- Early-stage benchmarking: Provides tools necessary for sustainable development from the very beginning of a project, when decisions have the greatest impact[5].
- Climate calculations from BIM/IFC data: Enables accurate environmental impact analysis based directly on the architectural model[5].
- Enhanced model data: Enriches designs with essential sustainability information, empowering architects to make informed decisions[5].
- Climate declaration extension: Offers clients a comprehensive view of each project's environmental impact[5].
- Two-way communication & data visualization: Ensures that sustainability information is not just available but also understandable and actionable[5].
- Dynamic scenario visualization: Allows architects to explore various design possibilities and their environmental implications[5].
Streamlining EPD Creation and Management
For manufacturers and suppliers, tools like One Click LCA's EPD Generator can streamline the creation of environmental product declarations[4]. This helps increase the availability of EPDs in the market, providing architects with more options for sustainable materials. As the demand for EPDs grows, such tools will become increasingly important in maintaining a robust ecosystem of sustainable material options.
Conclusion
As the architectural profession continues to evolve in response to environmental challenges, EPDs and LCAs have become essential tools for responsible material selection. These methodologies provide the quantitative foundation needed to make truly sustainable design decisions rather than relying on intuition or marketing claims.
By understanding how to effectively work with EPDs and LCAs, architects can:
- Make material selections based on comprehensive environmental data
- Meet increasingly stringent regulatory requirements[1]
- Support clients in achieving their sustainability goals
- Contribute meaningfully to reducing the environmental impact of the built environment
The transition to sustainable architecture is not without challenges, but digital tools like Anavitor LCA are making this journey more accessible and integrated with existing workflows[5]. These tools transform complex environmental data into actionable insights, allowing architects to maintain their focus on creative design while making informed sustainable choices.
We encourage architectural professionals to embrace these tools and methodologies as fundamental components of contemporary practice. Explore how Anavitor LCA can streamline your sustainability workflows, making environmental performance assessment an integral part of your design process rather than an afterthought[5].
By integrating EPDs and LCAs into architectural practice, designers can create buildings that not only inspire through their form and function but also lead the way toward a more sustainable future—one material choice at a time.
Sources:
- https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/a12dad861910dec7d5a73bf65514528d886c6d56
- https://www.robinreigi.com/2025/understanding-epds-in-architectural-materials/
- https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/98834c23bf4d9889669b5891fb3fbbd40ed41768
- https://oneclicklca.com/en/resources/articles/the-critical-role-of-epds-in-sustainable-construction-one-click-lca
- https://anavitor.ai/en/industries/architects
